Game apparatus



' C. METZ GAME APPARATUS Jan. 1, 1946.

Filed Aug. 31, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 1 BY y Jan. 1, 1946. c. METZ GAMEAPPARATUS Filed Aug. 31; 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fromm/5x5 Patented Jan.1, 1946 leppinaiioneusust 31, 194s... serai` No .590,601

2 claims. (on eraf-sr):

K This-'inventionrelates to game apparatus.

It is an object of the invention. to provide a bowling .game device ofnovel character providingf for ,physical exercise for rthel player;` incom bination. with elements of both skill and. chance resulting; in ahigh recreational value'.

It fisaffurther object of theA inventionv to. providea game; havingexercise value' equal to that of howling but not-presentingcomplicationsas to scoring and other features such as areginvolved instandard bowling games. Y e

A. still further object.v of vthe.4 invention is to eliminatethe needfor pinv boys or other attendants in esame -ofithe bowling type,

With-vr these and. still othervobjects which are apparent inthefollowing f ull description in mind, the invention. consists in thecombinations and arrangements of parts and details of construction whichwill now rst be fully described in. connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and then be more particularly pointed outin the appendedclaims-1 Y In'the drawings Figure l is a plan view of a game embodyingthe invention in a preferred form;

Figure2 is 'ar/longitudinal `section alongl the line offFigurefl: f Y.'",.\1re3-isa longitudinalsection of thegameoi `Fig}1re .-l,` taken. onthe line 3'-.3 kof Figure. 4';

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on. the line -rzrofigvre .12..

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1 and showing apart of a ball return apparatus;

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 1; and

Figure '7 is a detail section taken on' the line t '1 -1 of Figure 5.

The essential feature of the game of the invention is that it combines abowling alley, designated generally by the reference numeral I, which isa full size or substantially iull size alley, with a large scalepin-ball playing field 2, so that the recreational features of theso-called pin-ball games are incorporated together with the exercise andskill features of the game of bowling. In

addition, the pin-ball principle employed on thegigantic scale of theinvention has recreational features which are not present in smallcounterparts.

make` oneormorestepspreliminary tar the ball... The alleybed .isprovided .withsgutte'rs L similar to the guttersi of'conventional'.bowling alleys but. terminating atgtheiriarrendsinchu-tes 5,' which serve to preventany ballszwhich slide- `offiinto theguttersirom entering theliplaying'rel:

and` to return. such balls inamanner; laterne-.- scribed-.vv Thel alleyproper terminates '.in,ar.gate;i Whielrpis urged. toward .closedposition by gravita and lift so. as to permit` anelito roll past; as.`.shown in' Fsure, vbut-.is prevented-frontalieri@ ing. in the; returndirectionI .br means. of.: .stop The gai-e6 .is also slanted..transrersely Qff-theallen asy Shownin. Figure-twas to:stifleanyfica11Min` turninsand. striking the. Same ont@ the. adjacentplaying eld- Herron@.thel sate 61th.@ balltentcrs the playing field .2.whichl mayv beef.- any oithe: very numerous formsofpin-ballplayingyiieldsg. The particular.` playing` iieldY showncomprisesafv curved back-stop 1, side walls 8 and a frontwall 9surrounding the forwardly slantedoon I0, do.wn which the4 balls willroll bygravityV lInterspersed over iioor I0 arethe various scoringbumpers) I,

deflector platesll 2,- and guards I3 and side bumper,

mately roll. down the floor k[Il to .the return gutter;

I4 -and will normally` strike:oneor v morenof-.the bumpers,A .deilector'plates-andgiliardsf.I'I.,I 'I2; II and K-I3, bouncing back and iortl..betweenfthse. elementsand. makingone or more scores infso doing,V Thebumpers I.Iv may be spring, mounted or surrounded by rubber o1" otherelastic ina-lV terial so as to bounce the ball back when it strikes thesame and assigned various scoring values, as indicated by the numeralsin Figure 1. Each bumper may be connected to electrical apparatus so asto register the players score cumulatively on a'score board, which maybe conveniently placed on the rear wall I5. Inasmuch as the specificform of pin-ball playing field used forms no part of the presentinvention and the, bumper constructions, electrical apparatus andscoring boards are in themselves well known, these features are notillustrated or described in detail herein.

There is provided adjacent the runway 2 a ball rack I6, with which isassociated an endless chain conveyor I'I (Figures 4 and 5) provided withscoops I8 for carrying balls upward froml the end of a passage I9 anddelivering the same onto a stripper 20 at the head of an incline formingpart of the rack I6. The passage I9 forms, as best shown in Figure 4, acontinuation of the return gutter I4 at the front end of the playinglikewise lead into the passage I 9, so that allballs are ultimatelyreturnedrto the conveyor f The construction of the passages 2| is bestshown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6, and as there shown, any balls in thegutters 4 are receivedY Within the chute Vhoods 5, to be guided down-lwardly through openings 22 into the passages 2| below the gutters. VAnyballs, .whether returning along the passages |4 or 2|, ultimately enterthe housing 23 for the conveyor and .are received ytherein by supports-24 (Figure v1)1 in position for engagement by the scoops |8. As

'Y will be understood, a ball restingY upon thesup.- ,Y ports 24 in theposition indicated in Figure 7,v e

Iwill serve to prevent any balls back of lit VVfrom ventering thehousing |8 and interfering With-the operation of the conveyor |1. Y ,Y Y

Normally the player'will be provided Witll-Y a 'xed number of balls Vpergame and this may-be.r

VAcontrolled by an attendant or, Where desired,l by Vany suitablecoin-actuatedmechanism associated with the ball rack 6. The'alleyproper'may conveniently be a standard bowling alley modified to the extentindicated, and 'While preferably 'fu1l` widthY and vin `other respectsYidentical construction to a. standard bowling alley, the-length 0f thealley may Vadvantageously be. abbreviated in certain instancesTheplayer, in any event, receives precisely the same benefit-as toexercise as in'conventional bowling and the recreational andskillelements of the game may be adjusted in anydesiredV proportions. Inthe rst place, the*` player must possess suflicient skill to roll theball directly down the alley without entering the gutters 4 or he willnot be able to score. Secondly,

the score obtained is controlled to a large extent A.by the position ofthe .ball widthwise of the gate 6 When 'it strikes the same, as well'asby its' velocity Vand spin. As 'will be clear the game of the presentinvention thus introduces Aprecisely th sameielement of skill inVdirecting the balls *i asis present in the game of conventional bowliing. j" By varying the various elements having to VVd owvith thepin-ball palying eld, the elements of skill can be intermixed inpractically any gdesiredv proportions. Experience has sh'ofwnthat lplaying i'elds should be modified; or changed fairly frequently ifpublicvinterestis to Ybe maintained, andthe changing oftheplayingfieldwofY the invention from time to time is contemplated,Ilipviewiof this, the playing1ieldhowxlV nhe drawings should beunderstood as purelyk illustrative, as playing elds of widely varyingshape,y

construction and scoring features may be utilized and playing fieldssimulating Vthe scoring Yfeatures of various games such as base ball,golf and the like may be utilized Where found attractive. Y f Y In orderto prevent players 4from entering upon thelalley past the foul line 25 astandard photoelectriceye arrangement may be installed a short distancedown the alley, the beam or 'beams running across the alley between aport 26 on one side of the alleyA and .box 21 on the conveyor housing 23on the opposite side of the alley. The

beam may be set so Yas to permit passage of aY ball at a 'proper heightbut to be interrupted by` a player entering upon the alley. No specialelectric circuits are Anecessary in this connection, as the electric eyemechanism may simply be connected' to the score voiding circuit usuallyemployed in games of the pin-ball typeA to avoid tilting of the table. yI

As will be apparent, the gameof the present invention combines the bestrecreational and exercise features 'of bowling and pin-balLand withreference to the latter, retains and increases the recreational valueWhile, by its very size and theskill and physical' elor-t involved inbowling,

, the objectionablerfeatures of pin-'ball games are eliminated.

YWhat is claimed is: .Y 1. Game'apparatus comprising a substantiallyf-ull Width bowling'alley having a bowling bed,

side gutters along the edges ,ofY said bed and a runway for bowlers atone end of said alley, return chutes for balls entering said gutters, a

gate at the far end of said Yalley arranged'to permit-.passage of`abowling ballfrom said alley but toprevent itsreturn, said returnchuteshav-V ing*r entrances infront of said gatefor receiving balls fromsaid gutters, and a giant pin-ball playing eld adjacent and alongsidesaid alley'to re- Vceive :balls therefrom, the saidV gate forming 'theentrance to said playingfield.V p v 2. Game apparatus according'tojclainl, comprising. also ball return means for said-playing fieldandelevator` means for delivering balls from said Areturnchutes andfrom` said returnmeans toa common location adjacent saidV runway.Y

CHRIs'roPHalaVr i*

